Research Career Development- Intro to Careers and the Doctorate

1. Research Career Development-Intro to Careers and the Doctorate Gail P. Taylor Fall 2010 09/19/2013

2. Dr. Gail P. Taylor • Asst. Program Director MBRS-RISE • Research Training Program Specialist • Professional Development Coordinator

3. Beyond the Beakers: SMART Advice for Entering Graduate Programs in the Sciences and Engineering. Gayle R. Slaughter, Ph.D. Baylor College of Medicine/National Science Foundation. 2005 Survival Skills and Ethics Program: Beth Fischer Michael Zigmond www.pitt.edu/~survival The Leadership Alliance – Graduate School Guidehttp://www.theleadershipalliance.org/pdf/grad_guide.pdf Tips on Preparing for and Applying to Graduate School http://www.theleadershipalliance.org/pdf/tips.pdf Careers in Science and Engineering: A Student Planning Guide to Grad School and Beyond (1996). Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) http://books.nap.edu/books/0309053935/html/11.html Acknowledgements:

4. What do I want to do to earn a living???

5. Assumption of this Course:You are all interested in “going all the way” to a Doctorate!What is it?How do I get there?Then What?

6. Focus of This Lecture • What is a career? • Focusing on the Ph.D. • Highest Degree that can be earned… • Examines “match” between careers and personality/values • Introduction to Biology/Chem/Engineering options • Personality type can select path within a particular field… • Examines “match” between career direction and personality/values • Examines Scientist Attributes

7. What is the Difference between a Career and a Job?

8. What is a Job? • A set of tasks or performances to earn the money necessary to survive. • The individuality of the person in the “Job” is often irrelevant. • Emotional buy-in is not necessary

9. What is a Career? • Your lifework or walk of life • A chosen pursuit; a profession or occupation. • A calling/vocation, that is tailored to, and requires, an individual’s talents and strengths • Often requires additional schooling

10. Many Questions will Influence Career How ambitiousam I? How Longwill MySchooling be? How muchimpact do I want to have? What aremy Valuesin Life? What am I good at?

11. Getting Good Answers… • Arise from Good Questions you ask • Must be based on CORRECT information • Must arise from adequate self-knowledge • Time should be “loosely” considered, compared to “dreams” • Should NOT be based on fear

12. Family history Personal History Teacher impacted you Doctor helped you Mentor, friends & acquaintances Television Internet Counselors/Career Center Take courses/classes Summer programs & internships Shadowing someone Advertisements Or… How to Find out about a Career…

13. Training Programs, Like RISE and MARC

14. Which do You Want? Job or Career? You have decided Career….

15. Attributes of a Successful Scientist Depends on whom you ask…. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/careers/appb.html

16. What do you think are the primary attributes of successful scientists? Get together into groups and discuss for 5 minutes…

17. How does the Media Portray Scientists?

18. Characteristics of Scientists Scientists are people of very dissimilar temperaments doing different things in very different ways. Among scientists are collectors, classifiers and compulsive tidiers-up; many are detectives by temperament and many are explorers; some are artists and others artisans. There are poet-scientists and philosopher-scientists and even a few mystics.—PETER MEDAWAR, Pluto's Republic, Oxford University Press, New York, 1982, p. 116.

19. Characteristics of Scientists • "When most people think of science, they think of white coats, laboratories, and high-powered computers. But science is science even without such superficial trimmings. At its heart is a very simple idea: "check it out." People who approach the world as scientists do are skeptical. They are not content to take someone else's word that anything is so, no matter how eminent an authority that someone may be. Scientific knowledge is based not on hearsay, but on reality. Scientists take nothing on faith." • Thomas Easton, Careers in Science, 2004

20. “One does not have to be terrifically brainy to be a good scientist…” Yes, if hooked… Exhilaration of discovery Satisfaction of solved problems Virtues: Common sense Application Diligence Sense of purpose Concentration Perseverance in adversity… Attributes of a Scientist I Peter Medawar, Advice to a Young Scientist

21. Scientist Characteristics II • 1. imagination • 2. concentration • 3. integrity Peter Faletra Ph.D. Office of Science Department of Energy Newton Website, DOE http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99983.htm

22. Scientist Characteristics IV • 1. A keen sense of curiosity • 2. Natural skeptic- • strong reliance on "the data“ • “show me your numbers". • 3. Tenacity • 4. Analytical skills • 5. Critical thinking

23. Training for a Doctoral Degree

24. What is “Graduate School?” • Additional education beyond undergraduate years • To obtain a degree higher than a bachelor's degree. • Degrees range from • Master's degrees (M.A., M.S./M.Sc., M.Ed., etc.), • Doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., D.A., D.Sc., D.M.A., Th.D., etc.) • Other postgraduate qualification (MBA), such as a graduate certificate, as well as some professional degrees. • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduate_school

25. Training… • All of the careers requiring a Doctorate come out of basic training as a research scientist, chemist or engineer, in an academic institution

26. Standard Ph.D. Training Path 1-2 Yrs Post Bacc Research 3 - 6 Yrs Academics Academic Postdoc 4 - 7 Yrs Government Postdoc UG – BiologicalChemistry Government Doctoral Studies Industry Postdoc UG – Engineering Industry Continue Education M.S. Degree Other Career Other Engineering Work

27. Training • Undergraduate • Postbacc/MS/Work • Interim- • Greater training • Maturity/confidence • Experience needed • Doctorate or Combined Degree • Initial training- research and otherwise • Postdoctoral Work • “advanced” apprenticeship/training • Greater independence • Can Change Fields…

28. What is a Doctoral Degree and Why Would you want to Earn One?

29. What is a Doctorate (Ph.D.)? • Latin: Philosophiae Doctor • A doctorate or doctoral degree is • An academic degree of the highest level. • Recognition of the candidate as an equal by the university faculty under which he studied. • Usually research doctorates are awarded in recognition of academic research • Is of a publishable standard (even if not actually published) • Represents at least a modest contribution to human knowledge • Is usually assessed by submission and defense of a doctoral thesis or dissertation, though in some cases a coherent body of published literature can be accepted instead. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduate_school

30. History of the Doctoral Degree • Originally from the GreekΔιδάκτωρΦιλοσοφίας, meaning "Teacher of Philosophy" • Latin: Doctor philosophiæ • Definition: Philosophy • "love of wisdom" or "friend of wisdom".

31. History of Ph.D. • Originally: • a degree granted by a university • For learned individuals • Had achieved the approval of their peers • had demonstrated a long and productive career • It indicated a life dedicated to learning, to knowledge, and to the spread of knowledge

32. Ph.D. History II • Popularized in the 19th century • Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin • Granted to someone who had undertaken original research in the sciences or humanities. • Spread to the United States, arriving at Yale University in 1861.

33. Nomenclature – Getting a Doctorate • Doctoral training • Training towards doctorate • Pre-doctoral training / Predoctoral training • Graduate Training • Combined Degrees • MD/Ph.D. • MSTP (Medical Scientist Training Program) • DDS/Ph.D. • DVM/Ph.D., etc

34. Why Earn a Doctorate • Career “fits” your values/strengths/priorities • Kids who ask “why” - Thrive on intellectual stimulation • Explorers, Inventors, Builders • Benefit world/humanity – Disease, Hunger, Pollution, Green Chemistry • Prestige/authority • Highest degree, allows you to be in charge • Learn to perform research • Further field • Love doing it • Skills sets • Specific • Laboratory techniques • Non-specific • Critical thinking • Administration • Planning, etc.

35. Long Term Opportunities Autonomy You carry your career Develop own ideas As Ph.D., can possibly Set your own hours Choose your own topic Opportunity Can be “in charge” Teach at College/Univ. Required for running research programs Required for advancement Financial Companies Not hugely rich, but comfortable Educators Only way to be 4 yr college fac. Want to educate others Want to mentor others Want to have influence Public Policy Want to impact nation… Why Earn a Doctorate II

36. Delay Career entry Standard of Living Live on 21 – 27K salary Some add in loans Health Insurance? Family hardship Location issues Financial Losses Engineering – likely not make up missed income Biology – Likely will make up missed income Relationships Can be hard- long hours Can delay childbearing Location During training After training Stress Are several difficult times Qualifying exams (2nd year) Experiments not working ~Midway- Did I make a mistake? Personal and Financial Costs of Doctoral Education

37. Boost weak ego Impress others Job guarantee (not) For your parents Personal intelligence test Delay entry to work force Wealth Why NOT to enter Doctoral Program

38. Time to Degree • All 2003 doctorates in Science • With MS data included: • 8.3 yrs since BS • 6.9 yrs enrolled to degree • 31.2 Years old for Life Sciences • People who did not earn MS • 7.1 yrs since BS • 6.1 in degree • 29.9 Years old http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf06312/

39. Age of Those Getting Doctorates • Average age of Science and Engineering Doctorates (1995 – 1999) 31.8 years. • My duration 5 years 9 months • 837,000 Ph.D.s in S&E • (1995 – 1999) U.S. Minorities 14% http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf06319/chap3.cfm

40. Which Direction Should I Go WITH a Doctorate?

41. General Directions in the Sciences and Engineering… • Proportions vary by Field… • Academia • Colleges, Universities, Med Schools – Education taking place • Industry • Private Corporations • Government • Federal: NIH, National Laboratories, Army Corp of Engineers • State: Texas Parks and Wildlife, TxDOT • Local: Paid by city • Non-Traditional • Self-employed/Contractor • HS Teacher, etc.

42. Research All levels Healthcare Big Pre-health degree Education Secondary College Lecturer Professor Environmental Work Sales Biotechnology Forensic science Politics and policy Business and industry Economics Insurance Patent Work/Law Mathematics/Comp. Sci Bioinformatics, etc Science writing and communication Art/Museums Etc… Careers in Biology http://www.aibs.org/careers/index.html

43. Basic and Applied Research Analytical Chemistry Environmental Chemistry Organic Polymer Medicinal/Pharmaceutical NMR Education HS College Lecturer Professor Marketing Product Development Government Projects Management Forensics Insurance Chemical Information Services Patent/Law School Health and Safety Teaching Consulting Museum Archaeology Art history Business Careers in Chemistry http://www.chem.duke.edu/~bonk/Careers/ChemCareers.html http://www.chem.duke.edu/~bonk/Careers/ACSartcl.html

44. Great diversity- Depends on Field Electrical Engineering Chemical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Civil Engineering Biomedical Engineering Structural Engineering Production Engineering Aviation Engineering Plastics Engineering To advance, usually get an M.S. Ph.D. for universities… Careers in Engineering http://www.answers.com/topic/fields-of-engineering

45. Selecting a Career - Caveats • May be like entering the “unknown” • Must take some risk… • Don’t freak out! • May be accidental or intentional • Path often not straight or predictable • My have serial careers • May be intentional or accidental • Planning helps! • L. Pasteur: “Chance favors the prepared mind” • May learn more about self and values over time…

46. Personal Attributes and Career Path – Personal Attributes and Direction

47. Careers within a Career… • All Ph.D.s trained as researchers • Multiple Fields to Focus on in Graduate School • What will you do with your degree? • Science paths have different characteristics • Must consider of Strengths, Passions, Motivators, Values • Field • Basic vs applied & Translational – Human Impact • Activities • Autonomy • Hours • Responsibility • Pay • Location • Etc…

48. Personal Attributes Inborn characteristics Innate Passions Strengths Temperament Experience Background Education Mentoring Opportunities Values/Priorities Life responsibilities Work Environment Job Impact Challenge/growth Recognition Hours/stress Human interaction Buy-in on direction Overall job stability Annual income Percent growth/job availability Career Selection and Satisfaction Influenced by two aspects…YOU and the Career!

49. Neurobiology/Neuroscience Physiology Microbiology/Immunology/Endocrinology Cell/Molec./Dev. Biology Biochemistry/Biological chemistry Biomedical Engineering Chemistry Green Organic Manufacturing Pathology/Molecular Toxicology Pharmacology Radiological Sciences Biostatistics Electrical Engineering Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology Oral Biology Biological and Medical Informatics Biophysics Civil Engineering Genetics Computational Biology/Bioinformatics Pharmacogenomics Forestry Integrative Biology Molecular and Biochemical Nutrition Plant Biology Vision Science And Many MORE!! Graduate School Fields/Programs

50. What is a “Good” Field? • What inspires you? • Matches your passion? • Matches your skills? • Matches your values? • Matches your favored place to work?